The following message was submitted to CM Harry Thomas, Commander Lamar Greene, ANC Bradley Thomas, ANC Sylvia Pinkey and Presidents of the Bloomingdale, Hanover and Edgewood Civic Associations.
Dear Council Member Thomas and other Civic Leaders,
I am sorry that I am unable to make the vigil and community safety meeting. On behalf of the Bates Area Civic Association and most of our community, we welcome the opportunity to find solutions to the violent crime our area has been experiencing.
We had 2 homicides in November (within 2 blocks of the most recent), which did not get the media attention this last homicide received. I applaud Commander Greene and his team for having worked diligently with our community and for the fast arrests made.
I would like to emphasize the points I made to Council Member Thomas and Commander Green on my email dated December 5th (below). A safety plan for our community must be comprehensive and is beyond the scope of MPD alone. There are many DC Government Agencies that play a role undermining MPD and community efforts and actually contribute to the problem.
Department of Health – provides drug/heroin addicts with clean needles at N. Capitol and Florida Avenue.
- The heroin and drug dealers set up shop at N. Capitol/Florida Avenue and Florida and First ST NW to meet the demands of the drug addicts the DOH supports.
- The drug addicts take their clean needles and drugs to consume them at vacant properties in the neighborhood. DCRA had to send a bio hazardous team to clean up 18 Bates ST NW only after multiple requests I submitted and escalated all the way to the agency’s director.
- DCRA fails to inspect vacant properties, board them up and fine them accordingly.
- Social Programs such as SOME, bring hundreds of people into the neighborhood. Those individual trespasses, urinate, and loiter in our neighborhood.
- No legislation limiting the number of social programs one community may have.
- CCOSA lack of accountability
- HUD for failing to verify that Section 8 Landlords have proper permits and licenses.
- DDOT for failing to place speed control devices along this area (applications have been submitted and resolution approved by ANC).
As a community, I am sure that Bloomingdale, Hanover, Edgewood, Bates, NCMS, ANC must come together under your leadership CM Thomas to work with MPD to address these issues. I look forward to working with all of you on finding solutions and to work with all these agencies to make this a safer community.
Regards,
Geovani a. Bonilla
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Commander Greene – thank you for the increased MPD presence you and your team have given to the Hanover and Bates Area Civic Association. Looking at November reported crimes alone, you can see our concern for the potential cuts MPD may face during the new fiscal year. Our community will ensure our City Council Members realized what is at risk if such budget cuts are approved.
The increase in police presence, the light tower and ongoing investigations leading to arrests are making a difference. Given the increase in violent crime, we fear that 2 homicides may only be the beginning given the number of crimes at gun point.
I would like to follow up with you regarding organizing a multi-agency plan to address some of the agencies that are contributing to this crime: DCRA, DDOT, CSOSA, Youth Rehabilitation Services, SOME, HUD and DOH. These agencies lack of code enforcement, over saturation of social services and lack of speed control devices are all contributing factors to this issue. I hope that after the January 2 once new elected officials and our Council Member settle in we can continue to address these issues.
Regards,
Geovani A. Bonilla
Bates Area Civic Association President
CC: Commissioners Pinkey and Thomas
CC: CM Harry Thomas and P. Mendelson
CC: Sylvia Mathews, Hanover Civic Association President
Bates Area Civic Association November 2010 Crime Statistics PSA 501 REPORT DATE OFFENSE METHOD BLOCK CCN Civic Assoc 11/23/2010 ADW GUN 100 B/O NEW YORK AVE NW 10169998 BACA 11/17/2010 BURGLARY Armed 400 B/O FLORIDA AVE NW 10166748 BACA 11/22/2010 BURGLARY Building Not Occupied UNIT B/O NEW YORK AVE NW 10169381 BACA 11/29/2010 BURGLARY Building Not Occupied UNIT B/O BATES ST NW 10172939 BACA 11/30/2010 BURGLARY Building Not Occupied 1400 B/O NEW JERSEY AVE NW 10173501 BACA 11/14/2010 HOMICIDE GUN UNIT B/O P ST NW 10165368 BACA 11/23/2010 HOMICIDE KNIFE CUTTING INSTR UNIT B/O HANOVER PL NW 10161382 BACA 11/2/2010 ROBBERY GUN UNIT B/O N ST NW 10159361 BACA 11/7/2010 ROBBERY GUN UNIT B/O BATES ST NW 10162215 BACA 11/12/2010 ROBBERY F&V HANOVER PL NW & NORTH CAPITOL ST 10164752 BACA 11/23/2010 ROBBERY GUN 1300 B/O NORTH CAPITOL ST 10169871 BACA 11/28/2010 ROBBERY PBS UNIT B/O P ST NW 10172318 BACA 11/21/2010 STOLEN AUTO STOLEN AUTO UNIT B/O FLORIDA AVE NW 10169065 BACA 11/5/2010 THEFT Less than $250 4TH ST NW & Q ST NW 10160942 BACA 11/20/2010 THEFT Less than $250 1500 B/O NORTH CAPITOL ST 10168686 BACA 11/27/2010 THEFT Less than $250 UNIT B/O Q ST NW 10171948 BACA 11/1/2010 THEFT F/AUTO Less than $250 UNIT B/O P ST NW 10159249 BACA 11/1/2010 THEFT F/AUTO Less than $250 1700 B/O NEW JERSEY AVE NW 10159030 BACA 11/3/2010 THEFT F/AUTO Less than $250 100 B/O NEW YORK AVE NW 10159987 BACA 11/3/2010 THEFT F/AUTO Less than $250 100 B/O BATES ST NW 10160041 BACA 11/4/2010 THEFT F/AUTO Less than $250 1700 B/O NEW JERSEY AVE NW 10160358 BACA 11/4/2010 THEFT F/AUTO Less than $250 1ST ST NW & N ST NW 10160558 BACA 11/8/2010 THEFT F/AUTO Less than $250 100 B/O N ST NW 10162316 BACA
Bates Area Civic Association 